
Paul Filippelli
- Attorney
Columbus Office:
1103 Schrock Rd
Suite 307
Columbus, OH 43229
Phone: (614) 683-7331
Practice Areas
- Employment 80%
- Labor 20%
Biography
Paul grew up in Pickerington, Ohio, and received bachelor's degrees from the Ohio State University, triple-majoring in political science, history, and Latin, before going to law school at Georgetown University Law Center. While in law school, Paul interned at the U.S. Department of Labor and at a labor law firm in Washington, D.C. After graduation, Paul worked for Working America and then for Southeastern Ohio Legal Services before coming to Spitz in 2019. Paul has four cats, named Hermione, Harry, Dobby, and Kreacher, and enjoys trivia, karaoke, volleyball, and theatre.
About Me
Why did you decide to practice employment law?
I have always strongly believed in standing up for the underdog. For decades, workers have been underpaid, overworked, and mistreated by their employers. Too many corporations see their employees as dispensable and turn a blind eye when they are harassed, discriminated against, or deprived of the overtime pay they earned. Corporations cut corners in health and safety rules, creating a dangerous work environment, and then retaliate against employees who stand up for what is right. Employment law is where we stand up to bad employers and get their workers the justice they deserve.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give to anyone who is being discriminated against at work?
Keep track of the discrimination as well as you can. Have a notebook (at home, where the employer cannot find it) with dates and notes of exactly what happened. Write down the names of witnesses. Then call an attorney as soon as possible, rather than taking any actions on your own.
What is your favorite employee’s rights act? Why?
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Signed by President Biden in 2022, PWFA filled an important gap in pregnant workers’ rights. Before PWFA, employers were only required to give accommodations for pregnancy if they gave a similar accommodation to people for a disability. I have seen a lot of employees who had lifting restrictions or needed to sit down periodically because of their pregnancy, but they were unable to point to other workers who had the same restrictions for a disability. PWFA requires qualifying employers to give reasonable accommodations, including leave for pregnancy-related medical care and childbirth, to all of their pregnant workers, without making the employees point to others with similar accommodations.
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, District of Columbia
- J.D. - 2016
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- B.A. - 2013
- Honors: magna cum laude
- Honors: Dean's List
- Major: Political Science, History, and Latin
Bar Admission
- Ohio, 2017
- Maryland, 2017
Languages
- English